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CO VER S T OR Y further. However, if you're going to reuse your products, be sure to get them into wine right away. Don't let them dry out in an at- tempt to store them. StaVin's oak beans have a useful lifespan of at least one year, allowing them to be used in multiple wines. Beans are cut across the end grain on two sides but maintain the overall structure of the wood. A bean is not jagged like a chip, so it allows for a slower extraction, giv- ing it a longer life in the wine. As you'd expect with a tea bag, the first use will have a quicker extraction rate, so contact stave conducts oak aroma analysis to as- sure consistency of its five flavor profiles and also does haloanisole testing with each new lot number. Reusing and storing oak products M any barrel alternatives can be reused to stretch tight winery budgets even time should be adjusted according to the planned reuse rate. According to Nadalie, most of the com- pany's infusion products can be reused up to four times. The bigger the size of the prod- uct, the more often it can be reused. Chips, for example, can be used a maximum of three times. Keep in mind the volume of wine that is displaced by a barrel alternative. When you pull your product out, be sure to mind your headspace and top off when necessary. Unused chips should sealed back up and stored in their original bags in a cool, dry place. —K.K. With barrel alternative suppliers paying closer attention to the quality and origin of their products, winemakers also can adopt more focused methods in using them. The Be sure to mind your headspace after re- moving an oak product. medium is moving past the image of being a mask for flaws or deficiencies and stepping out into the light, neatly packaged and ready for exploration. Two years ago, we told the world we could replicate the fl avors of a French oak barrel by alternative means. Experts balked, then proved our point in blind tastings, actually choosing our fl avors over those of prestigious French barrels. We didn't stop there. Today we' re offering the tools to recreate fl avor profi les of a whole range of different barrels. Whether they come from France or Kentucky, Hungary or Spain. Never before have winemakers had such a wide array of fl avor controls at their command. ® StaVın Inc, P.O.Box 1693, Sausalito,CA 94966 (415) 331-7849 f (415) 331-0516 stavin.com Wines & Vines APRiL 2011 37 RACHELL COE © 2010 StaVin Inc.